The Unforgettable Sergeant Alvin York, Reluctant War Hero
by Robert L. Pyles, MD
April 2025
There are a number of remarkable facts about the 1941 movie “Sergeant York”:
First, it is a true and accurate story about a young, uneducated man from rural Tennessee, who, against all odds, went on to become one of the most decorated Individuals in our military history, and that might have been the least of his accomplishments! The unforgettable heart of the movie is this young man’s struggle to find a pathway between his devotion to his God, and his duty to his Country.
Second, it was nominated for many Academy Awards, and Gary Cooper won, going away, for best actor.
Third, I saw it when I was five years old, and have remembered it vividly, ever since!
As a young man, Alvin York was the worst kind of Red Neck, drunken hell-raiser, until he and his mule were nearly killed by a lightning strike. He took the fact that his life had been spared, as a direct message from God, and became deeply religious. Drafted in WW I, he had a deep aversion to serving in the military; however, his attempt to claim “conscientious objector” status was denied. Still deeply conflicted, he sought counsel from his pastor who quoted the Bible verse, “Render unto Caesar, the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God, the things that are God’s”-Mark 12:17.
That made it clear to York that his duty was to serve his Country, and still be faithful to God.
York’s Company wound up in some of the most vicious fighting of WW I, on the Meuse-Argonne front. When a number of his friends were killed by German machine gunners, he went into action. An absolute crack shot because of his hunting experience in Tennessee, he single-handedly killed 25 Germans, took out a whole line of machine guns, and wound up with 152 German soldiers surrendering to him personally.
York received a whole host of medals, including the Congressional Medal of Honor, our Nation’s highest award. He was recognized and praised with Ticker Tape parades. He was also offered many book and movie deals, all of which he turned down, because he felt he had done nothing heroic, “Only my duty”. However, when he realized he could use his fame and fortune for Christian good works, like establishing Bible schools for rural youth, he devoted the rest of his life to those activities. A truly humble man, he was very careful to select a biographer and a movie director who would present his story accurately, and not try to exaggerate his exploits.
Alvin York died at the age of 76, but his memory and legacy are well-preserved in a museum, tours, and his hometown in Tennessee.
Personal Notes - I had deliberately avoided seeing the movie again, because I was concerned that my wonderful memory of seeing it as a five-year-old would be ruined, by finding it dated, and maybe corny. I need not have worried. The movie is still wonderful, not “dated” at all. The story is one that still stirs the soul, it is still clear that Alvin York was one incredible human being, and Gary Cooper’s performance could not be more emotionally captivating.
On a very contemporary note, the Southern rural culture that is depicted is exactly what J. D. Vance describes in his book and movie, “Hillbilly Elegy”. It is also exactly like my own background. And if anyone has any doubt about that, check out the name of the Preacher in the movie. His name is “Rosier Pile”, and the name of the grocery store he runs is “Pile Grocery Store”. “Pile” is one of the original versions of my family name, “Pyles”. It is the Scottish word for “the point of a war arrow”, and goes directly back to a well-known ancestor of mine, William Wallace, of “Braveheart” fame.
“Nuff said!”
__________________________
Among other credits, Dr. Pyles served as President of the American Psychoanalytic Association and was awarded the honor of “Distinguished Life Fellow” of the American Psychiatric Association.
by Robert L. Pyles, MD
April 2025
- See Potomac Tea Party’s Guardians of History ‘Best War Movies’ page here
There are a number of remarkable facts about the 1941 movie “Sergeant York”:
First, it is a true and accurate story about a young, uneducated man from rural Tennessee, who, against all odds, went on to become one of the most decorated Individuals in our military history, and that might have been the least of his accomplishments! The unforgettable heart of the movie is this young man’s struggle to find a pathway between his devotion to his God, and his duty to his Country.
Second, it was nominated for many Academy Awards, and Gary Cooper won, going away, for best actor.
Third, I saw it when I was five years old, and have remembered it vividly, ever since!
As a young man, Alvin York was the worst kind of Red Neck, drunken hell-raiser, until he and his mule were nearly killed by a lightning strike. He took the fact that his life had been spared, as a direct message from God, and became deeply religious. Drafted in WW I, he had a deep aversion to serving in the military; however, his attempt to claim “conscientious objector” status was denied. Still deeply conflicted, he sought counsel from his pastor who quoted the Bible verse, “Render unto Caesar, the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God, the things that are God’s”-Mark 12:17.
That made it clear to York that his duty was to serve his Country, and still be faithful to God.
York’s Company wound up in some of the most vicious fighting of WW I, on the Meuse-Argonne front. When a number of his friends were killed by German machine gunners, he went into action. An absolute crack shot because of his hunting experience in Tennessee, he single-handedly killed 25 Germans, took out a whole line of machine guns, and wound up with 152 German soldiers surrendering to him personally.
York received a whole host of medals, including the Congressional Medal of Honor, our Nation’s highest award. He was recognized and praised with Ticker Tape parades. He was also offered many book and movie deals, all of which he turned down, because he felt he had done nothing heroic, “Only my duty”. However, when he realized he could use his fame and fortune for Christian good works, like establishing Bible schools for rural youth, he devoted the rest of his life to those activities. A truly humble man, he was very careful to select a biographer and a movie director who would present his story accurately, and not try to exaggerate his exploits.
Alvin York died at the age of 76, but his memory and legacy are well-preserved in a museum, tours, and his hometown in Tennessee.
Personal Notes - I had deliberately avoided seeing the movie again, because I was concerned that my wonderful memory of seeing it as a five-year-old would be ruined, by finding it dated, and maybe corny. I need not have worried. The movie is still wonderful, not “dated” at all. The story is one that still stirs the soul, it is still clear that Alvin York was one incredible human being, and Gary Cooper’s performance could not be more emotionally captivating.
On a very contemporary note, the Southern rural culture that is depicted is exactly what J. D. Vance describes in his book and movie, “Hillbilly Elegy”. It is also exactly like my own background. And if anyone has any doubt about that, check out the name of the Preacher in the movie. His name is “Rosier Pile”, and the name of the grocery store he runs is “Pile Grocery Store”. “Pile” is one of the original versions of my family name, “Pyles”. It is the Scottish word for “the point of a war arrow”, and goes directly back to a well-known ancestor of mine, William Wallace, of “Braveheart” fame.
“Nuff said!”
__________________________
Among other credits, Dr. Pyles served as President of the American Psychoanalytic Association and was awarded the honor of “Distinguished Life Fellow” of the American Psychiatric Association.